You might be surprised to learn that dating while living a Digital Nomad life can actually be very easy. The hard part comes when you are looking to settle down with someone whilst travelling.
But you aren’t here looking for a long-term relationship just yet, so I won’t go into the complexities of that. You’re here because you want to know how to date while living a digital nomad lifestyle.
Digital Nomad Dating Challenges
Before I start with the how-to’s. You need to understand the types of challenges one might face whilst dating and travelling. So you know how to overcome them and also what to expect.
You may think the biggest challenge to digital nomad dating is meeting people, but it’s not. The biggest challenge is finding people that are sticking around long enough so you have time to actually date them. Especially with backpackers, they tend to always be on the move and might not be in the dating mind-frame.
The next challenge is meeting people. How do you even find people that want to date digital nomads? How do you start a conversation with other people when you’re travelling? Let’s get into it!
Coliving
Coliving spaces is a great place to start your digital nomad dating. They tend to attract more long-term travellers and fellow digital nomads, rather than hostels which usually have short-term backpackers staying in them.
Coliving spaces are a great way to meet like-minded people and potential dates. And there’s the added bonus of convenience if you want to go back to theirs for some fun but sleep in your own bed.
Of course if things don’t work out and it’s a small coliving space things could get awkward, but if you’re both adults about it then there’s no reason it should affect the living situation.
Coworking
If you’re not staying in a coliving space then a coworking space might be the next best thing. As a Digital Nomad you will likely spend a lot of time in coworking spaces, or you should because they are ideal. For work and for picking people up.
And why not? It’s the perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation, you can ask what they do for work or do they know any good bars in the area? To try and figure out if someone is single, a great question to ask is if they are travelling solo and take it from there.
Even if nothing turns into a date, you’ll probably meet some great travel friends.
Apps
Do some research and find out which dating app is most popular in the country you are currently living in. Dating apps are still a great way to meet people and date, whatever the country. It is normal across the globe now so don’t be shy and set your profile up. And it takes the hassle out of asking if someone is single.
To help you work out which dating app is best, check out Apptweak. They have some great insight into US and Europe specific dating app downloads so you know where to put your effort depending on which country you are in.
Introduce Yourself
As scary as it can be to just go up and introduce yourself, it’s also incredibly empowering and sexy! Who doesn’t love a confident digital nomad that can put themselves out there?
Since you’ve started travelling, you’re probably already doing it when you want to make friends. So just treat it exactly the same. You don’t have to go in requesting a date straightaway. You want to get to know someone anyway so treat them as if you’re gonna be friends and if it feels right, ask them on a date.
It takes practice, but it gets easier and your confidence will soar.
Locals
Don’t restrict your dating life to just travellers and digital nomads. There’s no harm in chatting up some locals and getting them to show you around town.
If there’s a language barrier, this is also a great opportunity to practice the local language. I actually have some Mexican friends and our entire friendship is based off Google translate, but we make it work.
Ask Around
Not in a creepy way! But if you are make new friends, just let them know you’re looking for some casual dates and have they met anyone they could introduce you to? They might be able to set you up on a blind date and do all the hard work for you!
Safety Whilst Dating As A Digital Nomad
Your safety needs to be your absolute top priority, especially when it comes to meeting strangers and when you’re in a foreign country. We all remember ‘stranger danger’ at school right?
- Meet somewhere busy
- Share your location with a travel friend ideally but if you haven’t got any in the same area then a friend back home
- You don’t need to share details of your accommodation with your date
- Hold off from sharing all your travel plans in detail
- It’s okay to not share transport
- If you’re going to drink, know your limits so you are still in control
- If you’re going to take anything, make sure you know what it is
- It’s okay if you’re not interested in a second date. You don’t even have to tell them at the time, you can wait to do it over whatsapp. You don’t owe them anything more than that.
Digital Nomad Date Ideas
Aside from the usual date ideas of bar hopping and casual dinners. Here are a few more digital nomad date suggestions to mix things up a bit.
- Going for a hike or a walk to a waterfall
- Renting scooters and going for a ride to discover the local area
- Snorkelling is a really fun date idea and you tend to miss the awkward chat because you’re enjoying the fish and chatting about everything you saw
- Free city walking tour with a group
- Local art/crafts class if you’re feeling creative
So there you have it, there are so many ways you can date as a digital nomad.